| | | | Part 1 |
| 1 | Ifemelunamma | | Lifestyle blog writer. Aka: Ifemelu, Ifemsco, Ifem. |
| | Obianuju | | Ifemelu's aunt. Aka: Uju. |
| | Ginika | | Ifemelu's close friend. |
| | Blaine | | Ifemelu's boyfriend. |
| | Obinze | Maduewesi | Ifemelu's first love. Aka The Zed, Ceiling. |
| | Dike | | Ifemelu's cousin. |
| | Mervin | Smith | Taxi driver. |
| | Mariama | | Owner of Mariama African Hair Braiding. |
| | Aisha | | One of Mariama's braiders. |
| | Halima | | Mariama's sister. |
| | Ranyinudo | | Ifemelu's old friend in Lagos. Aka: Ranyi. |
| | Chijioke | | Cab driver. One of Aisha's boyfriends. |
| | Emeka | | Security guard. One of Aisha's boyfriends. |
| 2 | Gabriel | | Obinze's driver. |
| | Okwudiba | | Obinze's closest friend. |
| | Kosi | | Obinze's wife. |
| | Mohammed | | Obinze's gateman. |
| | Buchi | | Obinze's daughter. |
| | Christiana | | Buchi's nanny. |
| | Chioma | | Kosi's sister. |
| | Marie | | Kosi's housegirl. |
| | Nneoma | | Obinze's cousin. |
| | Chief | | Very rich man who helped Obinze earn his fortune. |
| | Sani | Abacha | Army officer, dictator and former de facto President of Nigeria. |
| | Ibrahim | Babangida | Retired Nigerian Army General and former President of Nigeria. |
| | Olusegun | Obasanjo | Former President of Nigeria. |
| | Mrs. | Akin-Cole | Old woman from a famously old family. |
| | Adamma | | One of the guests in Chief's party. |
| | Ferdinand | | One of Chief's acquaintances. |
| | Yemi | | Newspaper journalist. |
| | Dele | | One of Obinze's friends. |
| | Elohor | | Kosi's best friend. |
| | | | Part 2 |
| 3 | Mrs. | Ojo | One of the members of Miracle Spring. |
| | Pastor | Gideon | Pastor at Guiding Assembly. |
| | Oga | | Uju's lover, benefactor. Aka: The General. |
| | Chetachi | | Ifemelu's old neighbor. |
| | Jecinta | | Ifemelu's former house help. |
| | Ibinabo | | One of the officers of Guiding Assembly. |
| | Christie | | One of the girls in Guiding Assembly. |
| 4 | Kayode | DaSilva | The coolest boy in school. |
| | Yinka | | Kayode's girlfriend. |
| | Mofe | | Ifemelu's ex-boyfriend. |
| 5 | Priye | | One of Ginika and Ifemelu's friends. |
| | Tochi | | One of Ginika and Ifemelu's friends. |
| | Ahmed | | One of the Big Guys. |
| | Emenike | | One of the Big Guys. |
| | Osahon | | One of the Big Guys. |
| | Onyeka | Onwenu | Nigerian singer. |
| 6 | Sola | | Uju's driver. |
| | Baba | Flower | Uju's gardener. |
| | Inyang | | One of Uju's house helps. |
| | Chikodili | | One of Uju's house helps. |
| | Akunne | | Ifemelu's father's almost-cousin. |
| | Olujimi | | Uju's ex-boyfriend. |
| | Adesuwa | | One of Uju's friends. |
| | Uche | | One of Uju's friends. |
| | Adamu | | Uju's gateman. |
| 7 | Augustina | | House help. |
| | Odein | | Student activist. |
| | Dr. | Achufusi | Family doctor. |
| | Bunmi | | Ifemelu's mother's colleague. |
| 9 | Alma | | Dike's babysitter. |
| | Ngozi | Okonkwo | One of Uju's friends. |
| | Jane | | Uju's neighbor. |
| | Nkechi | | One of Uju's friends. |
| | Kemi | | One of Uju's friends. |
| | Ozavisa | | One of Uju's friends. |
| 10 | Marlon | | Jane's husband. |
| | Elizabeth | | One of Jane's children. |
| | Junior | | One of Jane's children. |
| 11 | Bartholomew | | Uju's new boyfriend. |
| | Amara | | Uju's acquaintance. |
| 12 | Stephanie | | Ginika's friend. Aka: Steph. |
| | Jessica | | Ginika's Japanese American friend. |
| | Teresa | | One of Ginika's friend. |
| | Stephanie | | Ginika's Chinese American friend. |
| | Hari | | Ginika's Indian friend. |
| | Chelcy | | One of the salesperson. |
| | Jennifer | | One of the salesperson. |
| | Jackie | | One of Ifemelu's roommates. |
| | Elena | | One of Ifemelu's roommates. |
| | Allison | | One of Ifemelu's roommates. |
| 13 | Miss | Brown | Dike's babysitter. |
| 14 | Cristina | Tomas | Member of the student affair. |
| | Samantha | | Ifemelu's class friend. |
| | Professor | Moore | Ifemelu's teacher. |
| | Wambui | | President of the African Students Association. |
| | Dorothy | | Waitress in Center City. |
| | Mwombeki | | Double major student. |
| | Kofi | | One of the members of the African Students Association. |
| | Olga | | Uju's Russian friend. |
| 15 | Kimberly | Turner | Ifemelu's propected employer. Aka: Kim. |
| | Laura | | Kimberly's sister. |
| | Morgan | | Kimberly's daughter. Aka: Morg. |
| | Martha | | Kimberly's former babysitter. |
| | Lawrence | Anini | Nigerian bandit who terrorised Benin City in the 80's. |
| | Taylor | | Kimberly's son. |
| | Don | Turner | Kimberly's husband. |
| 16 | Curtis | | Kimberly's cousin. Aka: Curt. |
| | Athena | | Laura's daughter. |
| | Dr. | Bingham | One of Laura's doctors. |
| | Dr. | Hoffman | One of Laura's doctors. |
| 17 | Jamal | | Apartment super. |
| | Mr. | Agbo | Ifemelu's former teacher. |
| | Haley | | Dike's group leader at camp. |
| | Danny | | Dike's friend. |
| 18 | Kelsey | | One of Mariama's customer. |
| | Abe | | Ifemelu's crush at school. |
| 19 | Ruth | | Ifemelu's counselor at the career services office. |
| | Professor | Hunk | One of Ifemelu's teachers. |
| 20 | Brad | | One of Curt's friend. |
| | Amy | | Ifemelu's co-worker. |
| | Miss | Margaret | Cashier at the cafeteria. |
| | | | Part 3 |
| 23 | Iloba | | Obinze's cousin. |
| | Cleotilde | | Work for the Angolans marriage for papers scheme. Aka: Cleo. |
| | Brown | | The man who sort out Obinze's driving license. |
| | Okoli | Okafor | Obinze's former classmate. Aka: Okoli Paparazzi. |
| | Crystal | Smith | Okoli's soon to be wife. |
| | Agnes | | House help. |
| | Nicholas | | Obinze's cousin. |
| 24 | Ghanaian | | Cleaning lady. |
| | Ojiugo | | Nicholas's wife. |
| | Nna | | One of Ojiugo's children. |
| | Nne | | One of Ojiugo's children. |
| | Bose | | One of Ojiugo's friends. |
| | Chika | | One of Ojiugo's friends. |
| 25 | Georgina | | Emenike's wife. |
| | Nosa | | One of Obinze's friends. |
| | Chidi | | One of Obinze's friends. |
| | Wale | | One of Obinze's friends. |
| | Vincent | Obi | The man who sold Obinze his National Insurance number. |
| 26 | Duerdinhito | | One of Brazilian cleaning crew. Aka: Dee. |
| | Roy | Snell | Obinze's boss. |
| | Nigel | | One of Obinze's co-workers. |
| | Haley | | Nigel's girlfriend . |
| 27 | Tendai | | The woman Obinze met at a party. |
| 28 | Patrick | | One of Obinze's co-workers. |
| 29 | Mark | | Georgina's old friend. |
| | Hannah | | One of Emenike and Georgina's friend. |
| | Phillip | | One of Emenike and Georgina's friend. |
| | Hadome | | Obinze's schoolmate. |
| | Alexa | | One of Emenike and Georgina's friend. |
| | | | Part 4 |
| 31 | Rob | | The man Ifemelu cheated with. |
| | Ashleigh | | Curt's cousin. |
| | Claire | | Curt's aunt. |
| 32 | Kweku | | Divorced Ghanaian doctor. |
| 34 | Araminta | | Blaine's best friend. |
| | Paula | | Blaine's ex-girlfriend. |
| | Shan | | Blaine's sister. |
| 35 | Ovidio | | Shan's boyfriend. |
| | Jerry | | Shan's boyfriend who died. |
| | Jorge | | Doorman at Shan's apartment. |
| | David | | Shan's editor. |
| | Kelechi | Garuba | Shan's Nigerian friend. |
| | Luc | | French man Shan met at the airport. |
| 36 | Marcia | | Blaine's friend. |
| | Benny | | Marcia's husband. |
| | Grace | | Korean-American woman who taught African-American studies. |
| | Nathan | | Literature professor. |
| | Pee | | Paula's girlfriend also named Paula. |
| | Michael | | Photographer. One of Blaine's friends. |
| 37 | Omar | | The sexiest man in New York according to Shan. |
| | Maribelle | | Shan's friend. |
| | Joan | | Maribelle's girlfriend. |
| | Bill | | A writer. |
| | Ashanti | | Shan's friend. |
| | Peter | | A guy from Wisconsin. |
| 38 | Boubacar | | Senegalese professor. |
| | Kavanagh | | Assistant history professor. |
| | Mr. | White | Security guard at the library. |
| | Araminta | | One of Blaine's friends. |
| | | | Part 5 |
| 42 | Jonathan | | One of Kosi's friends from church. |
| | Isioma | | One of Kosi's friends from church. |
| | | | Part 7 |
| 44 | Funke | | Ranyinudo's friend. |
| | Ijeoma | | Funke's friend. |
| | Ibrahim | | A guy Ranyinudo used to date. |
| | Ndudi | | A guy Ranyinudo met at Ijeoma's wedding. |
| | Mekkus | Parara | Used to have a crush with Ginika. |
| | Don | | Ranyinudo's boyfriend. |
| 45 | Onenu | Onenu | Publisher of Zoe. |
| 46 | Vivian | | Ifemelu's old classmate. |
| 47 | Esther | | Receptionist at Zoe. |
| | Ayo | | Ifemelu's driver. |
| | Doris | | One of the editors at Zoe. |
| | Zemaye | | Assistant editor at Zoe. |
| 48 | Bisola | | One of Ifemelu's old acquaintances. |
| | Yagazie | | One of Ifemelu's old acquaintances. |
| | Ikenna | | One of Ifemelu's old acquaintances. |
| | Fred | | A guy Ifemelu's met at the bar. |
| 49 | Mr. | Tolu | Photographer. |
| 51 | Uche | Okoye | One of Obinze's friends. |
| 53 | Tunde | Razaq | Lagos playboy. |
| 54 | Edusco | | Obinze's business acuaintance. |
| | Hezekiah | | One of Obinze's acuaintance. |
| | Awka | | Hezekiah's cousin |
| | Sike | | Ahmed's wife. |
| | Olu | | One of Ahmed's visitors. |
| | Morenike | | Olu's ex-wife. |
| | Eze | | Owner of oil wells. |
| | Aunty | Chinelo | Obinze's mother's friend. |
| | Dapo | | One of Ahmed's visitors. |
